Guide for flush tank balls



Feb. 5, 1935. w. F. RUFF GUIDE FOR FLUSH TANK BALLS Filed June 28, 1934INVgOR TTORNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE5Claims.

This invention relates to a guide for the rod of the ball of a flushtank valve such as is commonly employed in flush tanks of water closetsand the like.

With known structures of this general character, considerable diflicultyis encountered in imperfect or uneven seating of the rubber flush ballon the valve seat, and the guide for the flush ball rod becomes worn sothat the ball may swing laterally because of looseness of the ball rodin its guide. Also with known mechanisms aligning of the bearing fortheflush ball rod with the valve seat has been troublesome andaccomplished only with complicated and expensive structures.

One object of my invention is to provide a guide for the rod of a flushball embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby theball shall be accurately guided to its seat, and the guide shall besimple and inexpensive in construction and reliable and durable inoperation.

Other objects are to provide a structure of this character which shallembody a guide bracket having an elongated guide sleeve slidable thereinand in which the rod of the flush ball shall be slidable, so that theguide sleeve may extend practically throughout the length of the ballrod but shall be movable with the ball rod as the ball is raised fromits seat so as not to interfere with opening of the valve; to provide aguide of this character wherein the guide sleeve may vibrate or rapidlyslide up and down relatively to both the bracket and the rod as theflush ball bobs up and down on the surface of the water in the tank, toreduce friction between the parts, and permit the ball to freely move toits seat; to provide novel and improved means for aligning the guidewith the sleeve seat; and to obtain other advantages and results as willbe brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding and likeparts are designated throughout the several views by the same referencecharacters,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flush tank valve mechanism including aguide constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Specifically describing the invention, the reference character 1designates the outlet fitting of the flush tank valve which is connectedto the bottom of the tank and has an outlet passage 2 and a valve seat 3at the inner end thereof. Upon the fitting 1 is mounted an overflow pipe4 which communicates through a passage 5 with the outlet passage 2.

My invention includes a split clamp 6 to be applied to and surround theoutlet pipe 4 and to be clamped thereon by a screw 7 in the usualmanner. The clamp has preferably cast integrally therewith, a boss 8 towhich a bracket arm 9 is secured. This bracket arm has a guide opening10 which is normally aligned with the outlet passage 2 and the valveseat 3, and to 10 facilitate the aligning of the guide opening with thevalve seat, I utilize a plurality of thin plates or shims 11 which areinterposed between the end of the bracket arm 9 and the boss 8, thebracket arm being separably secured to the boss by screws 15 12.

Within the guide opening 10 is slidably mounted a guide sleeve 13 whichis of a length slightly shorter than the rod 14 of the flush ball 15,and the rod 14 is slidably mounted in the sleeve 13 20 which telescopesthe rod. The upper end of the sleeve 13 has a flange 16 above thebracket arm 9 and beneath which is loosely connected a link 17 which isattached to the lever or other operating mechanism which raises theflush ball from the valve seat. As shown, the link 1'7 has an eye 18embracing the sleeve beneath the flange 16. Beyond the upper end of thesleeve 13 the rod 14 has a projection or loop 19 against which the endof the sleeve may abut to prevent the sleeve from sliding off the rod.

Normally when the flush ball is seated on the valve seat 3, the sleeve13 depends from the bracket arm with the flange 16 holding the sleeve inthis position as shown in Figure 1. When the operating mechanism isactuated to raise the flush ball, the link 17 is pulled upwardly whichin turn raises the sleeve 13 which abutting the eye 19 also raises theflush ball as indicated'by the dot and dash lines. Inactual operation,the ball may be raised higher than shown on the drawing. When theoperating mechanism is released, the link 17 descends either with orindependently of the sleeve 13, and the sleeve slides downwardly in thebearing opening 10, resting on top of the flush ball. When the flange 16reaches the bracket arm, movement of the sleeve is stopped, whereuponthe rod 14 may continue to slide in the sleeve until the ball 15 isseated. It will thus be observed that the guide sleeve 13 provides acontinuous and elongated bearing guide for the rod 14 which willaccurately guide the flush ball 15 throughout its movement to the valveseat. The movement of the sleeve upwardly per- I mit the flush ball tobe raised as high asnecessary I between said ball and said projection toabut them without interference by the guitgsl ee ve. I thus obtain theadvantage of a guide w ich is substantially equal in length to the rod14but which in no way interferes with longitudinal sliding of the rod,and there will be a minimum of possibility or lateral movement of theflush ball relative to its seat. Also, the up and, down movement oftheball resulting from the agitation of the water as it leaves the tankwhile the ball is 01! its seat,

It will be understood by those skilled in the.

art that the specific details of construction may be modified andchanged without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, andthus I do not desire to be understood to be limiting myself in theconstruction and use of the invention except as required by thefollowing claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

I Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1, In a flush valve, a valve seat, a flush ball to cooperate therewithhaving a rod formed with a projection, a sleeve slidably telescopingsaid rod upon sliding of the sleeve'or the rod in opposite directionsrespectively, a bracket having a vertical bearing opening in alinementwith said valve seat and in which said sleeve is longitudinallyslidable, a support for said bracket, and a link connected to saidsleeve for sliding the latter in one direction to abut said projectionand raise said flush ball from its seat.

2. In a flush valve for tanks, a valve seat, a ball to cooperatetherewith and having a rod, a bracket having a vertical bearing openingalined with said valve seat, and a sleeve slidably telescoping said rodand longitudinally slidable in said bear-' ing opening, and means forraising said ball from its seat, said sleeve being held by said bracketin spaced relation to said ball when the latter is seated and resting atone end upon the ball while the latter is returning to its seat.

. 3. In a flush valve, a valve seat, a flush ball to cooperate therewithhaving a rod formed with a projection, a sleeve slidably telescopingsaid rod between said ball and said projection and limited thereby inits movements relative to said rod, a bracket having a vertical bearingopening alined with said seat in which said sleeve is longitudinallyslidable, said sleeve having a flangeat its upper end above saidbracket, and a link loosely slidably connected to said sleeve to abutsaid flange for raising said sleeve to abut'said projection and raisethe ball from its seat.

4. A guide for a flush valve including a ball having a rod, comprising asupport, a bracket formed of two separabiy connected sections one havingmeans for connection to said support and the other having a bearingopening for said rod, and a spacer shim between said sections forvarying the distance between said support and said bearing opening toaline the latter with said valve seat.

5. In a flush valve, a valve seat, a flush ball to cooperate therewithhaving a rod formed with a projection, a sleeve slidably telescopingsaid rod between said ball and said projection to abut them upon slidingof the sleeve or the rod in opposite directions respectively and of alength slightly less than the distance between said ball and projection,a bracket having a vertical bearing open-

